Vice-Chancellor Professor David Eastwood will lead a delegation to Chicago this week as the University’s links with the Midwest continue to grow.
Professor Eastwood has been invited to give the keynote speech at the second event of the British Council Higher Education Series taking place at DePaul University in downtown Chicago on Thursday 18th October. Professor Eastwood will address the changes facing the UK/US higher education funding landscape, alongside David A. Greene, Executive Vice President of the University of Chicago.
On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, British Consul General Robert Chatterton Dickson, is hosting a ‘Culture and Innovation’ dinner with key academic, civic and cultural partners. This dinner provides a timely opportunity to discuss the valuable role of cross-sector partnerships between cultural institutions and academia, most significantly with the release of the Chicago Cultural Plan this autumn.
As part of its global engagement strategy, the University of Birmingham continues to build strong links with Chicago and across the state of Illinois. Most recently, close ties are developing with a growing number of cultural partners. These include the Smart Museum and the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, Jane Addams Hull House Museum, Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater amongst others.
Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor, said: “The University of Birmingham is committed to developing meaningful ties with academic, cultural, industry and civic partners in Chicago and across the Midwest. This visit will build on our vigorous transatlantic engagement through strengthening existing relationships and establishing additional collaborative links.”
Robert Chatterton Dickson, British Consul General, Chicago, added: “I congratulate the University of Birmingham on their groundbreaking engagement with the universities of the US Midwest, and especially with their counterparts in Chicago – one of America’s great academic powerhouses, and Birmingham’s Sister City. I look forward to helping the University of Birmingham strengthen and deepen these research and student relationships as part of their global engagement strategy, and I hope to help other UK universities to follow this lead.”
During the visit, the University of Birmingham will present the National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) with a 3D laser scan of the Museum’s future home in Chicago’s west side. The scan marks the first joint project between the University and the Museum and will be announced on Friday 19th October by Professor Malcolm Press, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Engagement in the Americas at the University of Birmingham, and Dr Keith L. Magee, NPHM Executive Officer.
The Vice-Chancellor’s visit will conclude with a meeting with University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer and tours of the Smart Museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
A leading UK research-intensive university, the University of Birmingham is a vibrant, global community and an internationally-renowned institution, in the top 100 globally. With approximately 28,000 students and 6,000 members of staff, its work brings people from more than 150 countries to Birmingham. The University has a bold strategy to develop its global reputation by enhancing its international presence and collaborations. In addition to Chicago and Illinois, Birmingham has strategic partnerships with another sister city, Guangzhou (China), and in India, Brazil and Australia. For further information, visit: www.birmingham.ac.uk
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